Crate or case



Oct. 27, 1931. R ALLING 1,829,383

CRATE OR CASE Filed Feb- 24, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mwfA/mi Z PatentedOct. 27, 1931 tlhli'lf'ED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDYVAR-D BOY ALLING, OFKENMORE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO RICE & ADAMS COR- PORLATION, OF BUFFALO,NEXV YORK CRATE R CASE Application filed February 24, 1928.

This invention relates to crates, cases and the like which are built upof wooden side and end slats or boards connected togethei at the uprightcorners of the case by metal corner connectors, fittings orreinforcements, and more particularly to bottle crates of this sortwhich are used, for example, for handling milk bottles, and areordinarily provided with partition wires or strips which divide thecrate into a plurality of pockets each adapted to receive one bottle,whereby the bottles are separated and held from shifting about in thecrate and from contacting with each other.

The object of the invention is to provide a strong, durable andpractical crate or case of this sort, which embodies variousimprovements and has various advantages hereinafter described andparticularly set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a milk bottle crate embodying myinvention.

Fig. 2 is'an end elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal, sectional elevation.

thereof on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectional elevation, enlarged, online 5-5 of Fig; l, showing the stay or brace device for the partitionwires.

I Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation thereof on line 66, Fig. 7.

Fig. 7 is'a transverse, sectional elevation of of the crate on line 77,Fig. l.

Fig; 8 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation thereof, on an enlargedscale, on line 8-8-,

' Fig. 2.

one of the corner connections on line 1010,

Fig. 11.

Fig. 11' is a fragmentary, horizontal section on an enlarge'dscale onlinen-11, Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a similar horizontal, sectional view online12-12, Fig. 10.

Serial No. 256,714.

The upright walls of the crate or case are formed by horizontal sideslats or boards 15 and end slats or boards 16, each wall" beingpreferably composed of a plurality of the slats 15 and 16 arranged onedgevertically one above the other, the ends of these side and end slatsbeing connected together by corner connectors or reinforcements at'thefou'r upright corners of the crate.

Each ofthese corner connectors is formed by an outer angle plate 17 andan inner-angle plate 18 which are preferably formed from sheet metal.The two flanges of the outer angle plate 1'? extend vertically flatagainst the outer faces of adjacent end a-nd'side slats of the crate,and the upper ends of the flanges of the outer angle plate 17 arepreferably bent inwardly, as indicated at 19, over and against the upperedges ofthe top slat-s of the crate. The lower end of the outer angleplate 17 is slotted to form reduced extensions 20, see Fig. 9, which arebent inwardly under the lower edges of the adjacent bottom slats andthen upwardly at the inner'sides of the bottom slats. portions of theouter angle plate 1'? are pref erably out so that the inbent extensions19 and 20 thereof will meet in miter joints, as indicated at the top inF ig'. 9. The inner an le plate 18 has vertical flange portions 21 whichextend vertically at an angle to each other flat against the innervertical faces of the slats of the adjacent end and side of the crate,and which portions 21 are connected by horizontally bent, preferablyU-shaped portions 22 which extend outwardly toward the flanges of theouter angle plate 17 and are secured thereto, as by rivets 23, therebyconnecting the inner and outer angle plates rigidly together and forminga plurality of spaced pockets 24: in which the ends of the adjacent sideand end slats are adapted to-fit, and by which the slats are held inplace. The inner angle plate 18 having this form, can be convenientlyformed from a sheet metal plate which is bent to form theU-shapedtran'sverse Both the upper and lower end portions'22,-and isslit longitudinally on its median line 2202 through these U-shapedportions, after which the plate thus bent, is bent longitudinally alongits median line 22mto form the flange portions 21 which bear against theinner faces of the slats. After the ends of theslats 15' and 16 havebeeninserted in the pockets 24:, rivets of fasteners 25 are passed throughregistering holes 26 in the flanges of the inner and outer angle plates17 and 18'and through the top slats 15'and 16, and riveted at theirends, thus fastening the inner and outer angleplates 17 and 18- andthrough holes in the endsof the bottom slats and-are .rivetedattheirends. The

' rivets 27for the bottom slats also preferably pass through the upbent,bottom end extensionsQ O of ;the outer angle plate so thatthe samerivets also secure these fupbent extens ons in place.

' uThe corner connectors at the four corners of ;the crate are'thussecured together through the medium of the top and bottom slats,-and theintermediate slats are retained in place by fitting inthe intermediatepockets I 2 f the cornerconnectors, but only the top and bottom slatsneed to be riveted or-permar I repairs to the crate.

nentl ysecured to the connectors. Therefore,

in theevent oflany oflthe slatsof thecrate being broken, it is onlynecessaryto cut theriYets at the upper or lowerends of the cornerconnectors to permit the' separation ofthe partsof the crate and.theinsertion of new slats to -replace the -brokenones. This en ablesquick and comparatively inexpensive p I .7 I. hold the cratesinverticalalinement'. In the crate shown,the slats are wider ver-' ticallythan thepockets 2 1 and areformed with end tenons'28 of asize to enter the ifdesired, the slatsv can be made no wider vertically than the poc kets,inwhichcase the pockets. Therefor.e, the slatsof each wall can meet edgeto edge to form a solid wall, or

walls of the crate will be formed by slats separated by open spaces.Also the corner connectors can be made withpockets 24 of diflerentheights and indilferent numbers,

' thus adapting-the walls of the crate to be built up of differentnumbers ofslats which may either abutedge to edge or be .spaced apartdesired distancesv:30and 31represent iprot ecting shoes. for 'the loweredges of the crate. Each of these shoes consists of a channel shapedmetal strip i which embraces thebo'ttom edge ofone of the -lower slatsof thecrate, extending across the and outer faces ofithe slat. MThelchannel shoe;

edge and 21 ShOI'lZ CllSlJfll'lCG up along the inner is secured to the icrate by, rivets .82 passing transversely;through'the slat and throughmi age *rivetedto and tie together the metal connectors at the fourcorners of the crate and thereby form a continuous metal tie or hinderextendingcompletely around the lower end of the crate. The bottomwalls-of the channel shoes are preferably cut away, at their ends at 35,see Fig. 13, and abut against the edges of the'hori'zontal parts of theinbent extensions of the outer angle plates 17 of thecorner connectors.The bottom walls of the shoes and. the inbent extensions 20 of thecorner plates 17 arethusjfiush with each other at the bottom edges ofthe, crate and provide-a metal surface'extending completely aroundthebottom edgeofthe crateadapted to take the wear-incident toshoving ordragging. the crate along on the floor or pavement. Preferably, thebottom slats '15 and 16 are rabbeted or recessed a 36 to receive theouter flanges of th'e channel shoes'and their perforated lugs, so thatthe outer, vertical faces.

the outer faces cornerglugs t0 shown preferably'consist of sheet metalstampings and are secured in the corners of the crate byrivets whichconnect the upper ends of the corner connectors to the upper slats ofthe crate, and the corner irons 40 are preferably recessed to. receivethe upper 'ends'of the inner plates 18 of the corner connectors so thatthe lugs 40 can fit flat against the inner faces of the top slats, ofthe crateat the upper edges thereof, as shown in Fig. 7. V

represent the usual bottom wires which extend lengthwiseof the cratenear its bottom and are secured to the ends of'the crate, the wires 50thus forming bottom supports for the bottles. Above the bottom wires 50are the usuallongitudinal partition wires 51 The in the intended spacedrelation and prevented from being bent between their ends by atransverse spacing bar or strip 5%, see Fig. 7, which is bent to provideseats 55, in which the bottom wires rest, and is bent upwardly at 56between spaced pairs of the bottom wires 50, as indicated in Fig. 7. Atransverse securing wire 57 is threaded through holes in the upbentportions 56 of the spacing strip 54, above the bottom wires 50. Thiswire retains the bottom wires in the seats in the spacing strip 54 andthe wire 57 passes through down-bent ends of the spacing strip 54 and issecured in the sides of the crate, thereby securing the spacing strip inplace so that the latter firmly holds the bottom wires and prevents thebending or spreading of the same.

60 represents two stays or braces for tying together and bracing thebottom and partition Wires. Each of these ties or braces 60 preferablyconsists of an upright, flat metal strip having its lower end bent orlooped around the transverse wire 57 and passing through a slot 61,Figs. 5 and 6, in the spacing strip 54, and has its upper end bent orlooped around one of the top, transverse partition wires 52. One of thetop longitudinal partition wires 51 passes through registering holes 62in the looped upper end of the stay 60 beneath the top, transverse wire52 in the top loop of the stay. Between its ends, the stay 60 isprovided with a hole 63 through which one of the intermediate,longitudinal partition wires 51 passes, and adjacent this hole the stayis slit longitudinally at 64, see Fig. 5, and the parts of the stay atopposite sides of the slit are bent in opposite directions to form aneye 65, Fig. 6, through which one of the intermediate, transversepartition wires 52 passes. The stay or tie 60 is thus securely fastenedat its lower end to the transverse wire 57 and bottom wires 50, and atits upper end to the intersecting, longitudinal and transverse partitionwires 51 and 52, and between its ends is connected to the intermediate,longitudinal. and transverse partition wires 51 and 52. Thus, theseseveral wires are securely tied together and a rigid connection or braceformed between the same, which prevents bending or deflection of thewires, and forms a very strong connection between them.

Milk men in handling these crates, frequently lift them when filled withbottles, by the partition wires, and unless the wires are properlybraced and tied together between their ends, they are soon bent out ofshape so as not to properly perform their intended function. The abovedescribed stay and brace prevents such deflection or displacement of thewires, and the wires or crate cannot be injured by handling or carryingthe crate by means of the wires.

The end Walls of the crate are preferably provided with the usual handholes for the insertion of the fingers in carrying the crate. In largedairies and milk distributing plants, stacks of these crates filled withbottles are often moved about on two-wheeled hand trucks, and in loadingthe trucks, it is common practice in some plants to insert a hook in thehand hole of one of the crates of the stack to tilt the stack over ontothe truck when loading the truck. These hooks are apt to breakv or tearthe wood of the crate around the hand holes 70. In order to prevent thisinjury and wear on the crates, a wear plate 71 is preferably secured onthe inside of the end wall of the crate above each hand hole. This wearplate may be riveted or secured to the wall of the crate in any suitablemanner, and its lower edge 72 is preferably bent outwardly to fit andconform to the rounded or curved edge of the hand hole so that the wearplate presents a smooth, rounded edge which will not cut or injure thehands of the person carrying the crate. Nevertheless, the wear plateforms a metal surface adapted to be engaged by the hook in loading thecrates onto the truck, and not only prevents injury to the slats, butalso prevents the tearing or splitting of the wood so that the hand ofthe person handling the crate is not apt to be injured by the roughsurface of splinters of the wood.

I claim as my invention:

1. A case comprising side and end walls, and having pairs oflongitudinal bottom wires, a horizontal spacing strip for supportingsaid bottom wires including a seating part extending beneath each pairof said wires and having seats therefor, said strip also having npbentparts projecting between said pairs of wires and connecting said seatingparts, and a horizontal securing wire extending between and fixed toopposite walls of said case and which passes through holes in saidspacing strip so as to extend under said upbent parts thereof and oversaid seating parts against said bottom wires for bold ing the samesecurely in said seats.

2. A case comprising side and end walls, and having pairs oflongitudinal bottom wires, a horizontal spacing strip for supportingsaid bottom wires including a seating part extending beneath each pairof said wires and having seats therefor, said strip also having upbentparts projecting between said pairs of wires and connecting said seatingparts, a horizontal securing wire extending between and fixed toopposite walls of said case and which passes through holes in saidspacing strip so as to extend under said upbent parts thereof and oversaid seating parts against said bottom wires for holding the samesecurely in said seats, and said spacing strip having end portionsengaging said opposite end walls and having holes therein spacing strip"for supporting sai'd bottomj thronghwhieh'said scuring wire-passes forsecuring sa d strip in-place 1n sald case.

x 3; A case comprising side and end. walls,

longitudinal and transversepartition wires connectmg s'ald endand-sldewalls respectively above said b0tt0m1w1r'es, a horlzontal wiresi'includlng a seating part extend ingbeneath each. pair of said wires andhavingrseats therefor and having upbent i parts prejecting between saidpairs of wires and conne'cting said seating parts, a horizontal securing7 wire. extending between and I strip and loopedabout said securing wirewith said .stripengaging upon said l00p,'

{ whereby said bottom wires, said securing wire and said spacing vstripare braced and .fixed te opposite walls of said case and which passesthrough holes in said spacing strip and extends under said upbent partsthereof and oversaid seating parts against said bot- '1 ternwiresiforholding them in their seats and a stay strip'having its upperend securedto a longitudinal andlatransverse partition wire at their intersectionand having its lower-end extending downwardly through said spacing I prevented from-downward deflection.

V E. ROY ALLING.

